BANGKOK, February 11, 2014 – Law enforcement officers from 28 countries
just announced the completion of a ground-breaking, global operation to
combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, code named “Operation Cobra II.”
The month-long operation and capacity building activity promoted
cross-border law enforcement cooperation and is drawing praise from the
conservation community for its impressive results, including more than 400
arrests of wildlife criminals and 350 major wildlife seizures across Africa
and Asia.

Operation Cobra II also resulted in the seizure of 36 rhino horns, over
three metric tons of elephant ivory, over 10,000 turtles, more than 1,000
skins of protected species, more than 10,000 European eels, and over 200
metric tons of endangered rosewood. Among the many arrests were several
wildlife kingpins.

Police, Customs, and wildlife officials from China, Africa, Southeast and
South Asia, as well as the United States joined together with international
enforcement agencies to stage the operation out of two coordination centers
in Nairobi and Bangkok, with links to field operatives across Africa and
Asia. The “International Coordination Team” for Cobra II exchanged
intelligence on a daily basis, targeting poachers and traffickers of
endangered elephants, rhinos, tigers, pangolins, turtles and other species
sought by wildlife criminals to feed the black market in wildlife and
wildlife products.

The illegal wildlife trade has become highly profitable – some estimates
put the value as high as US$19 billion annually. Trade is increasingly
controlled by organized crime syndicates with sophisticated international
networks that have access to large amounts of cash, the latest technology,
and corrupt transportation channels. Chinese and African law enforcement
officials conducted the first successful joint sting operation that
resulted in the arrest of an ivory trafficking kingpin who was funneling
large amounts of poached elephant tusks between Africa and China.

Investigators joined together with the World Customs Organization, UN
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES), Interpol, ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN),
and the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF) to run the operation. New
intelligence on poaching and trafficking syndicates was gathered, allowing
governments to continue investigations with increasingly clearer targets.

Operation Cobra II was financially supported principally by the U.S. State
Department Bureau of Narcotics and International Law Enforcement Affairs,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund
and African Elephant Conservation Fund and the China Wildlife Conservation
Association. Joint training exercises that led to Cobra were conducted by
the Special Investigation Group on wildlife trafficking, which has received
technical and financial support from the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) sponsored Asia’s Regional Response to Endangered
Species Trafficking Program, implemented by the counter-trafficking
organization Freeland. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW),
another program partner, provided additional financial support, as did the
Canadian Embassy in Kenya and participating countries. Freeland mobilized
and provided financial, logistical and training support as well as tip-off
information on wildlife trafficking syndicates.

“Operation Cobra II is a great example of countries working together to
address the most serious and pressing wildlife issue of our time. Wildlife
trafficking is quickly threatening to wipe out some of the most charismatic
and treasured animals on the planet, and it is only through international
collaboration such as this that we can hope to save them in time,” said
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service looks forward to working further with
the partners of Operation Cobra II to help stop the illegal trade in
wildlife.”